Dependency
This Utility application is based upon prior-filed U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/179,362 filed on May 5, 2015, having the same inventorship.
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to packaging for food products. More particularly, the invention relates to packaging for comestibles formed in or placed in cup-like liners. Such food products include baked items such as cakes, cupcakes, donuts, brownies, muffins, and other pastries as well as certain frozen food items such as ice cream, and including puddings and the like marketed in cups.
Description of the Prior Art
Comestibles such as cupcakes, muffins, and individual-serving cakes are typically formed by placing cups in frustoconical cavities of a baking pan, placing worked cake dough in the cups, and baking the dough to substantially fill the cups, and in some cases, overflowing the cups. Each cup itself is typically formed from a round sheet of paper, plastic, metal or composite film wherein a continuous side panel is formed by pleating , i.e. corrugating the outer portions of the sheet and folding such portions upwardly about a flat central bottom. Cup size and shape are designed to conform to the size and shape of the cavities in a baking pan. Pan cavities having various sizes and shapes (and corresponding cup sizes and shapes) are in common use commercially for retaining various types of comestibles. The cups are also called “liners” and “baking liners” in the baking art.
Prior art packaging for cakes, cupcakes, muffins and the like have been of several types. Multiple units of commercially produced cupcakes and muffins are typically sold in single-level boxes formed of paper, cardboard, or plastic, with covers. Covers may be hinged to the container or be formed separately for placement over the containers. Such packaging is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,773 dated Jan. 11, 1977, to Entenmann. In this reference, a tray with spaced openings for each cupcake is inserted into the box for holding the cupped items. While these containers are relatively inexpensive, tipping or inversion of the package will result in displacement of cupcakes against the cover and/or side walls of the container. Topping, e.g. icing on the cupcakes will then adhere to the package and the topping may be damaged. Not only is this a problem for commercial bakers, but is especially important to artisan bakers who apply fanciful topping designs to cupcakes, and to entrants in competitive baking contests.
In such prior art packaging, cupcakes are commonly removed from the package by placing one's fingers about the upper part of the cup and icing, and lifting the cupcake vertically. Transfer of icing from the cupcake to one's fingers and concurrent damage to the cupcake topping design are common results.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,671 dated Dec. 21, 1999 to McDonough et. al. describes a cupcake storage container for a horizontal array of a plurality of cupcakes. In this reference, the container includes within each cup holder one or more protrusion members which project into the side of the paper/foil baking cup, below the edge of the cup, to hold the cup and cupcake in place. The protrusions may take the form of bumps, points which pierce the baking cup, or rings which project into the lower portion of the baking cup. In addition, the reference shows a cupcake holder with a horizontal surface which may be folded to release the cupcakes upwardly.
Even with these improvements to the cupcake package, vertical removal of the cupcake from the container is required, necessitating contact of one's fingers with the upper portion of the icing and/or cup contents. Furthermore, deformation of the cupcake will occur. Piercing of the cup may lead to contamination of the cupcake, resulting in unsalable product.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,673 dated Nov. 14, 2000 to Ferguson discloses a baked goods container for storage and transportation, having stepped or sloped members therein for supporting one or more removable inserts. Each insert is generally flat, with a plurality of holes for supporting cupcakes. The inserts are sized to rest at a different level within the container. There is not shown any means for preventing damage to the baked goods in the event the container is tipped or inverted. Furthermore, the container is not configured for retail display of the goods. However, the removable inserts of Ferguson permit placement on a flat surface and downward movement to increase the portion of each cup side available for finger removal of the cupcakes.
Although single cupcakes are sometimes sold unpackaged, this is not always true. For example, some commercial single cakes and cupcakes with frosting are pre-packaged in thin plastic film. Often, the cupcakes are supported on a cardboard cutout member. A hard frosting is used to minimize damage thereto in shipment and display. Nevertheless, a portion of the frosting may stick to the plastic film and be discarded or licked off by the consumer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,896,140 B1 dated May 24, 2005 to Perry discloses a crush-proof cupcake holder for a single cupcake. The interior includes a suspended cupcake tray assembly which is connected to a hinged lid such that raising the lid lifts the cupcake for removal. The tray assembly includes pin members which press into the sides of the cupcake for holding it laterally in place. The lid includes downwardly extending pins which press into the cupcake frosting to limit the upward travel of the cupcake.
As illustrated in the drawings of Perry, when the holder is opened for removal of the cupcake, the cupcake is extracted vertically by finger contact with the upper part of the cake itself and/or icing thereon. Furthermore, there is possible topping damage resulting from the downwardly extending pins.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0048997 A1 published Mar. 3, 2011 to Vandervliet discloses a package for a single cupcake wherein various means for preventing upward movement of a cupcake within the package include (a) toothpicks or dowels inserted completely through the package walls and the cupcake itself, (b) pyramidal protrusions projecting from inner walls of the package to indent or extend into the cupcake, and (c) ridges on the package walls which press into the cupcake sides. Such deformation of the cupcake is undesirable. Projection of toothpicks or dowels into the cupcake body are possible sources of contamination, and are considered undesirable from a commercial standpoint. A cupped product which is in a semi-liquid or semi-solid form may leak from a pierced cup. Alternatively, premature drying of the cup contents may be a problem.
Like the prior art already discussed, removal of the cupcake from the Vandervliet package requires upward (i.e. vertical) movement of the cupcake. The package includes a hole in its base for extending a finger therein to push the cupcake upwardly. FIG. 1F of the reference's drawings illustrate removal of a cupcake from the package, wherein three fingers are in contact with icing thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,167,128 B2 dated May 1, 2012 to McGinnis et al. discloses a hinged clamshell type holder for a single cupcake, having a securement device therein. The securement device comprises prongs extending from the inner wall to press fit against the sides or upper area of the cupcake's baking liner i.e. cup. The holder permits lateral removal of the cupcake therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,375 B1 dated Jan. 23, 2001 by Trucello et al. discloses a food product holder for a cup having an outwardly-extending flanged upper rim. A lower section of the holder includes a corrugated container which encloses the cup. The upper section of the holder comprises a cap which, when placed on the lower section, intersects with the cup flange to hold it in place. Removal of the product is achieved by removing the cap and lifting the cup flange from the corrugated container.
A macaroon cookie package seen by co-inventor of the instant application (Garrick S. Stone) at the International Vision EXPO & Convention in Las Vegas, Nev. on Sep. 18, 2014 is illustrative of another type of package. Shown in FIG. 1, the drawing is labeled OTHER ART, inasmuch as its possible priority date is unknown. The cookie package 101 has an inner package 103 comprised of two identical flanged parts 103A and 103B, each of which contains five compartment halves 104 connected by hollow necks 105. As seen, five unfrosted macaroon cookies 106 were contained in the inner package 103 wherein the two flanged parts 103A and 103B were loosely held together by a second (outer) carton 107 surrounding the inner package. Each macaroon 106 was positioned loosely within a separate pair of matching compartment halves 104 in the inner package. Thus, for example, each macaroon 106 had a diameter of 1.75 inches and a height of about 0.75 inches, while each full compartment had an inside diameter of 1.92 inches and an interior height of about 1.1 inches. No means were provided for holding a macaroon immobile within a compartment. Furthermore, the inner package 103 tended to rotate up to about +/−40 degrees within the outer carton 107, whereby the two flanged parts 103A and 103B can become separated by an additional 30+ percent of the compartment diameter. The package's construction enables substantial movement of a macaroon in all directions within a compartment. Thus, use of this package for containing fragile comestibles such as cupcakes, muffins, and the like is contra-indicated.
In summary, comestible packages of the prior art do not permit ready manual insertion and removal of cupcakes or muffins by hand or finger contact with the cup exterior only. In addition, prior art packaging is not disposed to the stacking of a plurality of such cupped comestible units e.g. cupcakes within a single package whereby clean manual removal of the comestible units is readily possible and easy. Cookie packaging is not suitable for use with cupcakes and the like. Other differences and advantages of the instant invention will become apparent in the following description and drawings.